this post was submitted on 31 Jul 2023
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ErgoMechKeyboards

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Ergonomic, split and other weird keyboards

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Posts must be of/about keyboards that have a clear delineation between the left and right halves of the keyboard, column stagger, or both. This includes one-handed (one half doesn't exist, what clearer delineation is that!?)

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¹ split meaning a separation of the halves, whether fixed in place or entirely separate, both are fine.
² ortholinear meaning keys layed out in a grid

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I'd love to have one of these but they're not made anymore. Anyone still making / selling them?

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

broom (of ferris sweep) did a promicro "tribute". Dunno if they ever actually released it, but it's up on github: https://github.com/davidphilipbarr/testing-boards/tree/main/gogo-corne

[–] jhelvy 1 points 1 year ago

This looks awesome

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Hi, please see the rules around BST. I'm aware though that the alternative listed is still /r/mechmarket on reddit which you may not wish to use. I would suggest asking in relevant community discords like the low-profile keyboards discord or regional ones for where you live as many of these have trading channels.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

is still /r/mechmarket on reddit which you may not wish to use
I would suggest asking in relevant community discords

  • using Discord (with its blatant disregard for privacy) is just as problematic (if not more so) as going back to Reddit
  • OP’s request could just as easily be interpreted as asking for vendor recommendation
    • if so, maybe an addendum to the B/S/T rule to indicate people asking need to clarify wording?
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah, I'm aware that Discord isn't great either but there really aren't any other marketplaces for direct trades between users and allowing them here would open the door too easily to scammers. Whilst it's not like we'd accept liability for bad trades, we'd also not want to foster a community where that's a common occurrence. So really you want something like a reputation bot, etc. For this like mechmarket has. There just isn't an open and distributed place where this community exists enough for buyers and sellers to find each other.

It could not be a vendor recommendation question, since no vendors carry the gergoplex and it's not open source. It's definitely trying to solicit an aftermarket sale. Which is understandable, but just not something we want to encourage and moderate here.

[–] jhelvy 2 points 1 year ago

As I just wrote, I didn't intend this to be a trade. I wasn't sure whether Gergoplex was still in production or not, so I was trying to find vendors that might still have PCBs. Haven't found anything which makes sense since it appears it's not on production.

[–] jhelvy 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This was a poor post on my part. I was looking for a vendor that might still be selling these (not for a private trade like mechmarket). Was also curious about alternatives to the Gergoplex since it's not longer in production AFAIK. The thumb cluster on it is really unique, so while I know there are similar sizes boards out there I was really looking specifically for this board.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Ah, then disregard. Poorly worded as you say, but okay.

Anyway other than the open source promicro-based homage that broom made (as linked by @[email protected]). Germ is no longer around in the community/Internet so it's not being made or sold anymore, indeed. It was a closed design so the only hope would be for a clone or something similar.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Any reason for the gergoplex in particular? Do you just like the design or the firmware or what?

[–] jhelvy 1 points 1 year ago

Thumb cluster. I'm using a 3x5 corne right now but the thumb is just too high up, the Gergoplex looks like a much nicer fit for me. Microdox is another good option.

[–] 0bskure 1 points 1 year ago

I know this is old but stumbled upon this earlier which appears to be like a gergoplex with a trackpoint as an option:  

https://holykeebs.com/products/span

here's the github: https://github.com/idank/spankbd

 

Not sure if you're up to go get the PCB printed yourself and interested in similar options:

This one has longer vertical thumb keys: https://github.com/erkannt/neuro36

Really far away thumbs: https://github.com/sboysel/giraffe36

 

One that seemed to have the thumbs farther was draculad, farther than microdox:  

https://github.com/MangoIV/dracuLad/

Seen a few places selling kits.

https://www.littlekeyboards.com/products/draculad-pcb-kit

https://customkbd.com/products/draculad-pcb

https://keycapsss.com/keyboard-parts/pcbs/166/draculad-split-keyboard-pcb

https://keebd.com/en-us/products/draculad-keyboard-kit

 

There are a fair amount of handwired ones, prototypes, higher key count boards or 2 key thumbs as options for farther away thumb clusters as well. You could also try to get more than 3 thumb keys and not use the ones too close to your thumb.

Might be worth looking through if you haven't already:

https://mechdb.net/keyboards?split=true

https://golem.hu/boards/

Honestly could swear I had seen more, but when I checked 3w6, waterfowl, or several others it was just really long thumb clusters. Not actually lower down on the board away from the alphas sadly.